Table



Sept. 14, 1943.

R. J. NEUTRA ET AL TABLE Filed Sept. 5. 1941 (lill/111111111111111; '11111111111111111111111111]lll/ln .J mi] /2 y' lflll'i'' 2 L Elg *Z4 /0 A51/.75

Zlnvenor.

Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED STAT-E TABLE Richard J. Neutra, Los Angeles, and Paul It. Williams, .Glendale, Calif.

Application September 5, 194ml, Serial No. 409,666

claims. rc1. 311-84) The invention relates to tables the height of which is adjustable. Hitherto such tables had legs Vwhich consistedof two or more parts shiftably connected to oneanother, whereby the length of the legs, Iand with it the height of the table, could be altered within certain limits. The ma'- nipulation forv altering the length ofthe legsgwas complicated, especially in View of the requirement that all legs must uniformly be brought'l to exactly the same length Afor every height to which the tables'hall be adjusted. l l

Object of thepresent invention is to create a simple mechanism for altering the height of a table to Ytwo different levels so that the same table V'may be used as a dining table Yof lheight usual -for this purpose, or as a lower table i-as preferred for serving coffee, tea, sandwichesor the like. Y

The `table according toythe 'present invention is provided with supporting members which are directly or indirectlyv-connected-to the tabletop in a jointed way, turnable around horizontalaxes, and have two supporting surfaces Vof dierent distances Vfrom the said axes.` Accord-ing to whichof these surfaces of the supporting mem# bers are brought into the supportingposition by turning the members around their axes, 'the y height of the table'is either large or small.r` f

With a simple convenient and'pleasing rn-ode of execution'of the Ytable -according to the presentinvention, the supportin-g members are shaped as rectangularly bent legs in the approximate form of the letter L, 'the sides of which -are of different length. This lls the requirement that the legs shouldbe provided with two supporting In Figure 1 in elevation with the supporting members in such a position that the table stands up to its larger height,

In Figure 2 in a view from below,

In Figure 3 in elevation with the supporting` up to its larger height, y

In Figure 5 ina view'fromibelow, and In Figure 6 Ain Yelevation with :the supporting members in such-a position that the table stands up to its'smal'lerheight.,

- In Figure '7 ajlocking deviceiorthe turntable legs of lthe table-is Shown With the iirst mode'of execution according rto the Figures 1-3,jthe tabletop lk Iis supported by twojpairs of 'legs 2 each 'pa-ir of which is arranged on onel of fthenarro'wer sides 'of the right-angular tabletop. @The Ilegs'are li-shaped, "the one side '3 of vwhich is longer Athan the'other one 4. The legs yof `everyjpair are fastened to a horizontal bar 5 which is connected to a -ba-r 6 by "mea-ns of Aa joint i'l hav-ing Y-a horizontal axis, this bar '6 being horizontallymovable and guided in grooves'9' of a frame-9 fixed to the underside of the tabletop I'. Besidesyfthe bar '5, the two legs of each pair may be 'rigidlybraced and-connectedto one another by cross-bars A8. Eachzpair of legs 3 can be "turned `around the horizontal 'axis of its joint '1 so vas to bring it from 'the position shown in Figure -l to theposition shown in' Figure 3. In the position according :to Figure 1 the longer portions 2 of the #legs stand upright `and therefore they legs as supporting Lmembers, yhold the tabletop l -at 'allarg'er height than in-the position accor-ding to vFigure 3 where the shorter portions 14 of thelegs are-'upright while the longer portions`3 of the legs are lyinghorizontally'on the lloonpln order :to lowerthe table out of the position laccordi-ng to AFigure 11 itis only necessary to turn thellegs around the joints 5 into the position as shown 1in Figure 3, andvice versa. This turning of thepai-rslof legs can be "perform-ed either whenthetable is lifted a little -fromthe {hoor-or when-the table is laid sideways `1upon'thefloor. Y

A device for locking the legs in each of the tWo positions in which they have to support the tabletop may be executed in several ways. The locking device according to Figures 1-3 consists of a pawl I0 and a cam Il fixed to the bar 5 and provided with a recess into which the end of the bolt -9 catches when the supporting members or legs 2 are in the position shown in Figure 1. In this way the legs cannot turn toward the middle of the table, nor can they turn in the opposite direction because their portions 4 are in contact with the under surface of the frame 9. The pawl I0 is fastened to a plate l2 which is horizontally movable and guided in grooves of the frame -9. In this way the plate I2 together members "insuch apositionthat the table-stands with the pawl I may be shifted into a position in which the end of the bolt catches into the recess of the cam Il for locking the legs, or the pawl I0 may be withdrawn when the locking should be released. In the position according to Figure 3 no special locking device is necessary if the joints are executed and arranged as shown in Figure 3 because the fact that none of the two joints admits turning the legs toward the middle of the table, gives the table a suflicient stability.

The mode of execution shown in Figures 4 6 differs from the rst one in the main by the fact that the legs shaped as right angles are connected to joints of the tabletop not with one of table top, the legs being turnable around the horizontal axes of the said joints, in such a manner that two positions of the right angle-shaped legs may be obtained in which the longer or the shorter of the two sides of each of the legs may be brought into an upright position for supporting the tabletop in two diierent heights.

2. A table comprising a tabletop, supporting legs shaped as right angles the two sides oi which are of different length, and joints with horizontal axes for connecting one of the ends of the legs .to the tabletop, the legs being turnable around their ends as it is shown in Figures 1 3, but with .A v

their vertex.

In horizontal grooves I3 of the frame I4, iixedformed of one piece in the shape of a right angle or the letter L. The side I9 of this right angle is longer than the other side 20. Twov such systems of legs on one side of the table form a couple or pair with the vertices of the leg-system turnable around an axle 2|` ofthe joints'l'l. When `the leg-systems arein the position shown in Figure 4 in which the longer sides of the legsystemsvare upright and support the tabletop, the height of the table is larger than after turning the leg-systems around the vertices until the shorter sides of the legs get into the upright position, as shown in Figure 6. The bars I6 `are movable in order to admit inrevery case a positionv of the leg-systems which, at the same time, secures the highest degree of stability of the table, and avoids projecting of the horizontal portions Vof leg-systems over the `edge ofthe tabletop,

Also with this mode of execution locking devices for the two different positions yof the leg systems may be used. Such a locking device-may consist, for example, of a couple of spring-hooks 22 (see also Figure 7 which shows thiscouple of springs in a front View) for each of the legs.

We do not want to limit the scope of our invention to the modes of executions We have here described and represented in the drawing, for 'it is obvious that the movable supportingfmembers With their two supporting surfaces of different distances from the tabletop maybe eXecuted also many other ways.

What we claim is:l y y 1. A table comprising a tabletop, supporting legs shaped as right angles the two sides of which are of diierent length, and jointswith horizontal axes for connecting these legs to the the horizontal axes of the joints, in such a manner that two positions of the right angle-shaped legs may be obtained in which the longer or the shorter of the two sides of each of the legs may |be brought into an upright position for supporting the tabletop in two different heights.

3. A table comprising a tabletop, supporting legs shaped as right angles the two sides of which are of dierent length, and joints with horizontal axes for connecting the verticesof rthe o right angle-shaped legs to the tabletop, the legs being turnable around the Vhoriz'ontalaxes of the joints, in such a manner that two -positionsof the legs may be obtainedl in which *theV longer or the shorter of the two sides of eachfof the legs-may be brought into an lupright position for supporting the tabletop in two Adifferent heights.,

4. A ta'ble, comprising a tabletop, two pairs of supporting legs, the Ylegs of each vp air'being shaped as right angles the two ysides.' of which are of diferent'length and being rigidly connected to each other, and joints with horizontal axes for connecting the said pairs of legs to Ythe tabletop, the pairs of legs being turnable. around the horizontal axes of the joints in such a manner that the right angle-shaped legs ymaybe brought into two different positions inY whichvrthe longer 0r the shorter side yoi eachv leg `may stand upright forsupporting the tabletop in different heights. Y j p n.,

5. A table, comprising a tabletop, supporting legs shaped Aas Vright j angles the two sides of which are of different length, joints with horizontal axes for connectingr the legs to the tabletop, cams fastenedV to the legs and havingl a recess, and pawlsmovably connectedto the tabletop, the legs being turnable around thehorizontal axes of the said joints in` such a manner that the right angle-shaped' legs` may be brought into two different positions inl whichthe longer or the shorter side of each leg may Vstandupright for supporting the tabletop in two dierent heights, the said paWls-being fitto catch' into the said recesses when the `legs should beloclred in the one or the other of the two positions into which they have beenyturned. H- y RICHARD J.A imirrmi. BAUL R. WILLIAMS.A 

